I have a passive solar water heater on my roof. If you are considering solar
heated water for heat, I suggest reading up on "thermosyphon" as it eliminates
water pumps and any moving parts. Unfortunately for me, my geography doesn't
work out for thermosyphon for my hoophouses. The concept is simple: hot water
rises, so the collectors have to be lower than your storage unit which then
displaces the coldest water in your storage. It requires a pressure relief valve in
that the sun can heat the water to a boiling point.
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